The Freeshot's Folly
by andy25100
Summary: First Lieutenant Rip Van Winkle waits as Samiel comes to collect his due, but he has other plans for the hunter.
1. Operation Adler

Hello there reader, just a few things I want to say before you start reading.

First is that I do not own Hellsing, if I did we would have seen much more of Rip Van Winkle and much less of my fan fics... maybe more, regardless none of it would be original mine. Second, thanks for reading this I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Fear's cold grasp held me in place as the fires of hell rise slowly above me, the heat's warmth means nothing to the figure standing among the flames, his figure unscathed from the crash wearing an overcoat that looks more black than red flowing casually among the flames.

He looks at me, his eyes cutting through me like daggers, he's here for me, my Samiel approaches.

These are my thoughts as the Major's words echo in my mind. "First Lieutenant Rip Van Winkle, do you know how Der Freischütz ends?", he asked me hours before, his jovial grin plastered on his face, "Kaspar having trifled with the black huntsman Samiel, is whisked away to hell for his sins". Those words scared me to my core as he continued regardless, "His body is thrown down a ravine to be eaten by wolves", and they scare me now as I lay slumped on the ground feeling like Kaspar, the Black Huntsman standing mere metres away, prepared the judge me for my sins.

My senses are numb to the flames as they spread ever closer.

They are numb to the screams of the wounded and dying, my mind can focus solely on him.

Each step he makes sounds like an opera in motion, it's tune a familiar one, it's ending unchanging.

His figure was imposing as he stared down at me, his gloved hand hovers next to my face, I beg my body to move but it won't respond to my begs, "Kaspar cannot escape the judgement of the huntsman by placing a sacrifice in his stead", his words hold no malice but scare me regardless along with leaving me with unanswered questions, as who am I but Kaspar. But before I can fully contemplate what he said, blood spurts onto my face bringing me back into reality, with control of my legs, I run.

I run and don't look back.

The sound of gunfire continues as I flee, the Sturmscharführer shouts orders, explosions shake the ship as the screams of the wounded take the places of weaponry while Samiel does his grim work, all I can do is cry in the corner like a child, waiting for a quick death, I think about trying to surrender, maybe this beast will show me some mercy, though this thought dies with the last of my crew. All is a sudden silent, the dead make no noise and neither do their guns, all I can hear is the sound of fires crackling among the ship & my sobs. My alarm clock rings off for a few brief seconds until it is cut off as it is crushed underfoot startling me, as I look up fearfully I see him looking at me with his usual grin, his presence gloating his victory over me, the Major words echo in my mind again as I watch this monster entranced by him as he stands solemnly, my samiel comes and all I can do is cower in the corner avoiding his gaze.

I look at him again as I try to stand, he gives me a cocky grin as I put on a weak show of determination. Managing to stand without the gun, I lift it up and level it on him, his grin widens as if he was goading me to fire, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor, my bullet punishes all without distinction!" I shout at him with all the force I can muster, this seems to amuse him more than anything, well i'll show him something to laugh about, I squeeze the trigger as my last shot is let loose out of the barrel, it's blue glow trails across the nights sky as it pierces into the demon's shoulder.

The bullet whirls around and hits him again, and again, this thought becomes words that reach my lips, "again", I mutter out as he is hit, his body moving around the deck like a ragdoll, "again, again, again", it turns into a shout as my bullet pierces his flesh for a dozenth time, "die und go to hell" I scream at him as it makes another pass but I don't scream in success of my kill, but I scream as the sound of another hit is replaced with a metallic crushing sound, the thoughts of what he could have done rush through my mind, as he lifts his head up I see the bullet caught in between his teeth, he caught a bullet in motion, what is he, no-one can do that, not even the Captain can do that.

His grin still recognizable despite his now broken jaw, his jaw flutters as he crushes the bullet with his teeth, metallic shards fly through the air and land on the deck around him , "What excels the pleasures of the chase Rip Van Winkle?", his voice sounds calm and painless, the jaw looks like it was never broken.

Stepping ever closer to me, I try to back away but it is futile as he gains on me regardless, my foot catches on a large piece of shrapnel embedded into the deck, I lose what balance I had as it sends me flying towards the ground,my body braces for the impact but instead of the cold sharp impact of me hitting the ground, instead his hand has hold of my arm in a tight vice-like grip keeping me upright, as I open my eyes I find him looking at me, his dead red eyes looking straight into mine, he tugs on my arm dragging me closer to him, my body has given up fighting against the tide, as he leans into me all I hear from him is a short and mumbled apology, before I have a chance to think about the reasons behind this strange sorry it has already happened.

I look down at the pain to see my musket impaled in my chest, the barrel firmly entrenched inside me, the pain is unimaginable as he slowly twists it around, the sound of something mechanical being crushed followed by a painful jank as the musket is removed from my chest just as quickly was the musket thrust in it was thrust out, though the pain is worse without it than it was with it in me. His hand carefully let's go of me as I'm laid against a wall, he still stands there looking over me, "Have I put on a good enough show for you?", he asks me, I try to respond but I just manage to make myself cough out more blood instead of words but a radio crackles to life and he gets an answer.

Trying to turn to where the sound comes from but the pain is too great and I give up. "Yes, you are quite the hunter Alucard", the Major's voice still as jovial as ever it's as if he doesn't realise the plan has failed and the Adler is lost. "Now why don't you put the lieutenant out of her misery, something for you to do while London burns", the sound of Schrödinger in the background humming the nursery rhyme only adds to the hurt as those words hurt more than the musket ever could, I was one of his most loyal soldier's and he would throw me away like the trash,"No", his words shock more than the Major's, this merciless monster, this demon, why would he spare me among the carnage he has caused, impale me on my own rifle just to spare me minutes later.

"That is a shame, oh well" I hear him sigh , "Dokter, if you would be so kind", a quick ya comes from behind him followed by an audible click, a few seconds pass in silence before the sound of the same clicking noise is repeated.

"Expecting fireworks?" Alucard asks before he breaks into a laugh, "Fitting your operatives with a suicide bomb means little if it doesn't work", he continues before he breaks into laughter again, the radio remains silent behind Alucard's laugh. "She has fulfilled her purpose, do with her what you will, her life means little in the grand scheme of things", his voice unchanging from before, uncaring, but I do not care for him anymore, my life was at his command yet he fitted a bomb in my chest and sent me on a suicide mission ready to kill me if I someone survived, who is the monster, the one who would kill his own men when they have fulfilled his own determination of useful or the one who would defend this country against Millenium's tide of night for a notion of loyalty to his human masters.

"Looks like the lieutenant is in a spo...", I hear Schrödinger begin gloating until a gunshot rings out followed soon after by a splash as a body hits the water below, followed by another shot and the sound of electronics frying, "Me and the lady need some privacy", Alucard mutters as an afterthought as he turns and walks towards me.

Kneeling down beside me, I attempt to speak again, but it ends with the same results as before as I cough up more blood that splatters over my already bloodsoaked uniform, some get caught by my mouth and trickles down my chin. I watch him carefully as he pulls a handkerchief from his overcoat, wiping the blood from my chin the handkerchief quickly turning a bright sanguine red."Through clouds obscure still shines the sun in radiant sky", he says quoting another song from Der Freischütz, the words are ill-suited and sound more like a joke that only he would find funny, his eyes are unmoving from the bloody handkerchief, folding it up he returns it to his pocket.

"I am going to be blunt with you Lieutenant, I want you to come with me and join Hellsing", what blood is left in my head disappears.

Barely managing to open my mouth to ask him, "Why?". Luckily he hears me, "Because I am offering you a chance not to die on an aircraft carrier in the north sea and a chance to join organization that won't abandon you on one", his words sting with the truth but I can't hate him for the truth, my injury pays homage to this as it is the lesser of two evils, but it is an evil regardless, as why should I be happy with him, he impales me on my musket and leaves me to bleed out while he asks me to become a traitor in trade for my life. "Fine", He seems unsatisfied, anger is clear in my voice, all this does is amuse him more than anything, "just 'fine', I was hoping for more from you Rip Van Winkle", he angers me more but what can I hope to do with a hole in my chest, "yes", I manage to barely say running out of breath halfway through it, "good girl Lieutenant, we are almost finished", my fists clench as he goes down another rabbit hole.

"As I am going to turn you into a vampire, not one of the test tube freaks you are now, a true vampire, I want you to understand this before you become my fledgling, as there is no turning back from this point on", his words shock me for a second time but there is reason behind them because despite how much artificial vampire blood I contain I am nothing to the real thing, my power's unable to heal a wound half this severe, his plan is bare to see, leave me dying and make himself the only cure. "What if I say no?", my curiosity getting the better of me, "I'll kill you before finishing off the rest of Millenium", his deadpan expression would have been funny if the rest of the Adler showed he was dead serious when he says he'd kill me. "I accept", the words are hard to say but what choice do I have between dying here or joining with an enemy I swore to destroy but is willing to give me a second chance, It is too late now as I see his cheshire cat grin reveal his sharp-pointed teeth, I will have to live with the weight of my sins in this new life, taking a deep breath as he lunges onto my neck I prepare for a pain that never comes, the sensation of his teeth in my neck is strange beyond belief, as a numb feeling washes over my body, the glaring pain from my wound slowly disappears, as he removes himself from my neck.

Attempting to speak I try to open but my mouth but it goes dead before I can vocalise anything, I look up at him as he licks clean some splotches of blood on his lips, his figure becomes blurred and my eyes heavy, I give him a questioning look as I try to work out why this is happening, but before I work anything out lose consciousness.

I awaken where I blacked out on the deck of the Adler, my hand immediately feels my wound, the gaping hole in my chest remains but it's smaller than it was before with blood shooting from one side to another like bridges crossing a river, "Your wound is healing but it will take time", Alucard says standing on the prow of the ship staring towards England, I stagger to my feet clutching my wound with both hands.

As I stand I realise the deck feels different, the sound of waves crashing to the side of the ship makes me realise the ship is moving, the coast in the distance closer than it was a few hours ago, the lights closer than before darkened by the fires burning from London, Operation Seelowe II going on as planned, the face on my new master is calm and collected as he waits to join the fray the Adler steaming towards London.

"Rip, you are now a member of Hellsing", he says finally facing me, "who's uniform are you wearing?", the question surprises me as I look down at my clothes, my bloodsoaked SS uniform is mostly intact apart from a musket shaped hole in my chest revealing some of my breasts, I feel my face blushing as I cover them up with my arms looking at him I stumble out embarrassed, "my SS uniform". "Exactly", pulling a bag out from his undercoat throwing it to my feet, "you are a member of Hellsing, dress like it", picking up the bag I stand to attention, grinning at me I quickly turn around and rush inside the conning tower as fast as I could.

My heart beats like a drum as I stare at the bag, my loyalty to Hellsing and my betrayal of Millenium are all contained within. I assess the navy blue Hellsing uniform lying neatly folded and ironed, the Hellsing emblem emblazoned on the top left corner, showing the world who I belong too, underneath it a navy blue knee-length skirt with long white stockings sandwiched inbetween. I enter one of the officers quarters and locking the door shut, the futility of my action isn't lost on me as I hear the reassuring click of the lock but I find myself wanting to control at least one part of my new life even if it is just some basic privacy as I get changed. Setting the bag down on the bed I begin stripping off my bloodsoaked SS uniform, dropping what is left of it to the floor, leaving them where they land not caring about whether I will ever wear them again, it doesn't matter now as I start to button up the shirt. It fits me rather well as I fix up the collar, I try not to think about how I look but it is a losing battle as I begin to work my way into my skirt but it is the only thought that isn't about this rabbit hole I find myself.

Adler's corridors reek of blood as I walk down them, I miss my old SS uniform already as I adjust the collar of my new clothing, it feels strange on me as I open a bulkhead to the deck, because as well as the uniform fits it makes me feel like a stranger in my own skin.

"You suit your new uniform Rip Van Winkle, you'll cause quite the stir when we reach London", his words were full of his playful arrogance but he's allowed to be arrogant. Looking up at my new master as he stands on a pile of debris looking out at the now brighter lights of London, many of the landmarks are now visible on burning skyline with the Adler moving along slowly down the Thames.

As I stand next to him looking at his face which is staring seriously at the city if he didn't look so casual among his surroundings you would swear he was angry, "Did you have to impale me?", I ask him, the fear in my voice is evident but I have to know if my wound was necessary, forcing myself to continue looking at him, scanning it for his reaction with trepidation, the only comfort is that if he was going to kill me he would have done it hours ago, "Yes", he says blankly as I expected him to respond, "while the device is simply designed and installed by an amateur who has little idea on where to place something like this effectively, the danger is that if I started to fiddle with it still attached or got you to join Hellsing before removing it they would have killed you without any qualms", his reasoning makes sense as I put my hand over the wound thinking about how close I've been a flick away from death over the past 60 years, "using your musket I was able to destroy it, letting me get on with what I really came here for", the metallic sound as he impaled me makes more sense than it before and I can't help but want to thank him for releasing me from a leash I didn't know exist. "Is that all?", he asks me casually, I think for a second, "yes... Master", I answer, adding Master at the end as nonchalantly as I could because while this situation is uncomfortable, referring to him as 'Master' is a start.

The conversation dies off, the sound of water flowing past us takes its place, the juxtaposition of it with the burning skyline is mildly amusing helping pass the time as the city of the dead approaches. The Monster & The Hunter waiting for the end of a Millenium.

* * *

Story time is over children, please leave your thoughts on this and any ideas on where I can improve, as I plan on writing at least two parts to with the immediate and lasting consequences of Alucard's actions and would like it to be as good as I can make it.


	2. Battle For London

Disclaimer: I don't know if anyone cares about these really as it's just someone stating the obvious for a few lines about how they don't own what they are writing about adding in a joke to make them slightly more interesting. Also Kouta Hirano owns Hellsing.

Anyways I'm back with the second chapter of Freeshot's Folly and I would like to thank everyone who read this as the little view counter for chapter one slowly increased, especially though I want to thank everyone who favourited, followed and reviewed it as you help fuel me to do my best on the next update.

* * *

**Chapter Two - Battle For London**

Mist spreads around the Thames as the ghostly Adler slowly sails down it, crashing through what is left of Tower Bridge like a knife through butter with the HMS Belfast passing by until London Bridge slows it to a halt as we crash into the stonework. "Come Lieutenant" Alucard says jumping onto the bridge below beginning a leisurely stroll to the north bank, jumping down after him quickly catching up to him as he reaches a bridge over an underpass. Alucard turns his head to me, "Remember where we parked Winkle" he jokes as his jovial grin disappears as he dives onto the road below.

By the time I reach him, he is already halfway down the street road as I follow him closely not wanting to get lost among these unfamiliar British street's.

As we walk I begin to look at the obviously abandoned cars that litter the street, their owners are likely among the bodies that are scattered equally around us with some being killed by shrapnel and gunshots while others were turned into ghouls only to be struck down again. Alucard's face shows well controlled anger as he views the damage silently, "Why?", Is all I can think to say in an attempt to take his mind of the carnage at least for a few minutes, "'why' what?" Alucard almost biting my head off.

"Why did you let me live?" my confidence gone as he scowls at me.

"Because you did not belong among them, in all your years with them did you not think that you didn't quite fit among them?"

"A little", the closest person to me was Zorin and I could barely stand her and her psychotic tendencies, my face probably showing how much of an understatement that last sentence was.

"There is your reason" he replies bluntly finishing our short conversation before it even got started and while he is obviously hiding something I don't want ask as his grim face scares me into staying silent with whatever he is hiding not worth questioning. Silence reigns as we exit onto Victoria Embankment, the trees that once lined the road are now just charred stumps with only a few having survive the flames that are consuming the rest of the park.

"Where are we going" I sound like a child but it is all I can think to ask him that will get a straight answer out of him.

"Trafalgar Square, it is where Lady Integra and Police Girl are and where we must be", looking around there some signs for our destination littered around us giving me but I'm unsure of it's location having only seen a few postcards of it from my childhood to base our relative locations.

"It's Just past the station", his arm pointing towards a large glass roofed building a few hundred metres ahead, the glass is cracked and missing in certain places revealling the victorian steel shell roof underneath that is mostly intact after being hit in multiple places by explosives.

We pass through the station, entering through a hole in the wall caused by a train crashing through the station's wall and landing on the road below creating a passage into the building, after making our way through the empty carriages and into the deserted concourse. The eerie silence that would be expected of a building like this isn't there as the sounds of people outside echo through the gaps in the building that open outside making me realise how close we are to the enemy, the large doors of Charing Cross being the final boundary between them and us.

Trafalgar Square is within throwing distance as we exit onto the Strand, though Nelson's Column is surrounded by the combined force of the last battalion in a mexican stand off with an army of people who look more like the Klu Klux Klan than soldiers on the opposite side of the square that are armed equally as much.

Our arrival does not go unnoticed, the standoff broken both sides agree to put their differences for the sole purpose to killing Alucard. As we approach the eye of the storm a priest comes from the other side, his bayonets glinting in the light as he grins at Alucard the existence of everyone else around him irrelevant, though as I stare at him the sound of something crashing to the ground behind us shocks me around, the knelt figure of the Captain emerging from the dust at the center of the fall.

I freeze still as he all but ignores me while walking past m, avoiding his glare is easy thankfully as he is more interested in the other two as he joins Alucard and the priest in their own personal standoff. "My lord and master Integra Hellsing, give me your orders?", Alucard shouts loudly to our master, "Alucard take heed, here are your orders, your silver gun will stain the white army crimson, your iron gun will stain the black army scarlet, I will know my foes by the stains of red you leave on their chests, now search and destroy, search and destroy, run them down, do not let any leave the island alive" is her cold response shouted from the roof of the National Gallery.

"My master it shall be done as you command", a wind blows past us as he gives a wide grin like a child on christmas morning.

"Release control restriction zero, announce your return, say the words and release your full power, **now**"

"Here standeth the bird of hermes eating my own wings", Alucard says as everyone stares at him in fear their gaze only interrupted by the priest attacking him, slicing Alucard's chest with his bayonets followed on as the Captain kicks him in the chest giving a signal to the last battalion and the crusaders to open fire at the now blood mist form of my master. After a few seconds of soaking up bullets tendrils shoot out and begin cutting apart his foes vampire and human alike, they shoot around me leaving me unharmed among a river of souls that starts to appear from the ground around him.

Alucard's form itself has changed dramatically from his crimson overcoat to a suit of plate armour, I manage to hear a catholic in a helicopter that is circling above mutter "Dracula" fear in his voice shows clearly over the sound system, his fear is justified as his crusader's are massacred in their hundreds. The only thing keeping me from fleeing this scene are my constant whispers in my head that I am his fledgling and he wouldn't harm his own fledgling, not after saving me on the Adler, though I feel my faith is justified as a company of knights that form out of thin air in front of me charge avoid me with a large berth as they run through the crusaders that stand in their way leaving behind an empty square with the dead impaled on spears like in the history books about Vlad the Impaler.

Standing among the forest of the dead are Integra & Seras, the last remnants of Hellsing, despite the damage that my former comrades have done they stand stubbornly against everything that has been thrown at them. "My Count, you have returned", Integra asks my master, he kneels down in front of her, his accent changed to suit his home, kneeling down in front of her he looks up at her in adoration, "at your pleasure, my lady", the girl Seras interrupts meekly, "hi.. it's really nice to have you back Master", I miss his reaction that causes her to hide behind Integra but I can't help but stifle a laugh as she sticks her head out like a cartoon character as she uses her hands to impersonate a moustache, "you seem to have grown a moustache?".

"Yes Seras, my Seras Victoria", I can't help but feel jealous as he compliments her, while I've only known them all for a few hours I want to be treated in the same way he treats her instead of the stranger that I can't help but be.

Though our meeting is cut short as that Iscariot priest screams from above, madly diving towards us, their swords cross as Alucard easily deflects him, their standoff from earlier is reborn, "nicely done my nemesis", Alucard complimenting him enjoying the challenge that he somehow poses to him.

"I am a servant of god, an agent of divine punishment on earth, I am called to cut away the flesh of infidels and remove from the earth all those who would defy god", he recites the creed of Iscariot before charging at him with full force, pages of the bible fly around him as a blue force emanates from his bayonets that clash against Alucard's sword setting the pages on fire.

"You have become a formidable opponent, I'm impressed".

"Ready for more?", this priest asks, I can't decide if he is brave or stupid though Alucard picks the former his normal mocking non-existent.

"Yes, bring me more, try to pierce my heart with your bayonets, five-hundred years ago, one-hundred years ago, now come back to challenge me again my nemesis", it is more than he needed to he hear as their fight begins anew, equally matched as they glide around each other, it is quite a beautiful sight and I would love to stay and watch them continue if I wasn't scared for mine and my master's safety as the fight goes on for a few more tense minutes as they each try to land blows on the other only to be blocked at every turn they try.

Alucard's figure returns to normal as the plate armour turns into his scarlet overcoat, "pure Macedonian silver processed mercury ammunition in M.N.A.9 cartridges, 39 cm long, weighing at 16 kg with 35 mm armor piercing rounds, the Jackal, this weapon is perfect Walter", Alucard continuing to taunt his opponent as the fight continues as the Jackal breaks through the catholic's defences. "Now what will you do? Your dragon stands before you catholic, you're going to defeat me is that right, what do you think your chances are, one in a hundred?, one in a thousand?, in ten-thousand?, a million?, a billion maybe?", familiars filling up the gap between them as the taunting continues.

"I am more than prepared to destroy you monster whatever the odds are against me".

"You are bruised and bleeding, your arm is hanging on by a few strands of meat, what will you do, die like a dog or on your feet like a man?", Alucard asks from his perch.

"What does it matter vampire..." the priest answers before mumbling something as he bites down on his arm a bayonet appears out of thin air, cutting his way through the familiars as if they were nothing only stopping as his bayonet gets stuck within the skull of a familiar twice his size. My master's cavalry use this as a cue to kill him down before he has a chance to properly fight them off yet as they charge they never reach him as the remnants of Iscariot gun them down under a hail of gunfire just in the nick of time almost as if they were waiting for

"Dammit, I said leave, you stupid meddling idiots", the priest biting the hand that saved him.

"And what did you expect us to do?", the hand bites back as a nun in a priest's garb scowls back her thick german accent is evident, a half-smoked cigarette falls onto the floor, "pack everything up and run back to the Vatican, what sad sort of thing would that make us, none of us would be soldiers of Iscariot anymore" her rant continuing on only to be interrupted as another nun joins her.

"By the cry amen and the slaughter of the unworthy the world slippeth back into place, those are the words you taught us aren't they, did you think we would just abandon our righteousness, you are the idiot", the other nun is strange though as her welsh accent contrasts with her Japanese exterior.

"You are such fools, I just wanted someone to survive and continue our work, too many have gone to limbo today, but since I am charging full speed into hell I might as well have some company", the combined forces of Iscariot line the streets in front of Alucard and his horde.

"You stand before me... i'm impressed Iscariot, show me more Alexander Anderson", the priest now has a name as he pulls a small wooden box from his overcoat pocket crushing it in one hand revealing the small nail contained within. "A nail, the Shroud of Turin, the Holy Grail, the Lance of Longinus, should I assume you are threatening me with the last of the holy artifacts of Rome?", Alucard asks unimpressed at his display, "It still smells of blood and miracle, the Nail of Helena".

"Prepare", Anderson shouts at no-one in particular. "Anderson, stop it", Alucard shouts at him panicked by the priest, his worry spreads to me as I finger the trigger on my rifle I staring at him from afar, if Alucard fears what will happen if he uses what hope do I have after witnessing what he has done almost offhandedly to the combined numbers of the papacy and the last battalion.

"Do you know what that thing will do to you, you'll become one of gods monsters, maintain your humanity, don't succumb to power, either side it amounts to the same deal, whether in the name of the divine or demonic, you're still a monster in the end, do you intend to use that scrap of miracle to become a scrap of miracle yourself, this duel between us would you really push it this far into the realms that lie beyond mortal life, a monster such as myself that could not bear the weight of my own humanity", his worry is genuine with that nail being the purest form of all he despises, "Don't do it human, don't become a monster, a monster like me".

"I want nothing more than to be a bayonet wielded by the hand of god, I would have been happy to have been born a storm or a divine threat, a mighty explosion or even a terrible hurricane, a divine force of nature without heart or pity and if this relic can transform me into such a thing then I am happy to abandon my humanity", Anderson's comments about his humanity worry as how much he would give up for a chance to defeat Hellsing's trump card, I feel like someone should just call him Ishmael in a hope that he realises what happens to him in his pursuit of Moby Dick yet I feel pressured into staying silent as I look to be right at Integra & Seras both standing silently shocked staring somewhat stupidly at the scene in front of them either too scared to interrupt or feeling that Alucard can deal with whatever the problem the papist can throw at him.

Thrusting the nail deep into his chest the priests falls the floor, "you fool" Alucard angrily shouts at him as he walks down from his perch, this small act of obsession causing more of a reaction from him than the few million dead in his nation's capital. "You bloody fool", insulting him again as he prepares to finish him only stopping as a short flash of blue similar to my bullets crosses Alucard that is followed by a spurt of blood and the loss of multiple limbs. Alucard fights back firing his pistols in return at him removing most of the priests head as his shots make contact though the two headless foes still stand as if they weren't missing one of the most important areas of the human body. "He is not human anymore, the only way either of us can return to dust is to have it gouged out of us, the sickness in our hearts", Alucard's voice coming out of the blackish crimson mist that has replaced his head. The members of Iscariot who still stand, are standing in shock and horror at just what their mentor has become, retreating away from the fight their safety being the highest priority in all their thoughts right now.

The two continue fighting each other regardless of others safety while the damage they do is minor it is random with chunks of building falling around them though the almost Kudzu thorns that make up Anderson's inhuman body trap Alucard, before he has time to resist flames sprout from what skin is showing and turn the pair into a bonfire that feels like it is burning my skin even from a hundred metres away.

"Master", Seras's voice brings me out of my stupor, by the time I realise what is going on she has already dived into the heart of the flames only to end up trapped like our master without doing anything useful to show for her sacrifice as she futilely continues screaming at him, Integra looks unworried all the while continue to smoke as if she was watching a football match and her team has decided to let the other team have a kick about for a few minutes before going back to crushing their chances of winning, her confidence fills me with hope as if she doubts his defeat at the hands of Anderson why should I deciding to leave my rifle alone until it is really needed despite the damage it can do in a single shot the time taken to reload makes me useless.

"You're too loud Police Girl, I can hear your voice just fine", Alucard yawns out similar to me after a good nights sleep with his prison of thorns being a small issue for him when he rips them from his face. Moving onto the bayonet lodged in his chest he yanks it out and breaks it in half with even less effort, "Anderson, if you'd bested me just now I would've been content, If you had taken my heart I would have been so very content but now that thought has passed and now there is no way you could possibly defeat me as those who are destined to defeat monster's are always human, to be bested by anything less than human is unacceptable", Alucard ending his speech as he destroys the remaining thorns that surround him, Anderson feeble attempts to hold him back in place all fail while this monster forces his way closer to him. Alucard reaches him within seconds and my heart lifts as he manages to pierce the priests chest and force it through the other side, ripping his still beating heart in the process like an Aztec sacrifice, the nail sticking from it while thorns try to reattach it's hosts heart.

The lifeless body of Anderson falls in front of him, crushing his heart in his hand, the blood popping from it like the juice in a raspberry. "You're the same as me, the same fate I befell, the same pathetic story as mine", Alucard screams, the pain in his voice evident as he falls to his knees by what is left of his holding his head in his hands and slowly begins to cry causing the only sound around us with none of us in Hellsing feeling the need to celebrate as while I only heard his name minutes before I could tell he was someone important and would probably be next to Alucard if I knew more instead of standing from a distance rudely gawping at him as he grieves. Among the silence though Anderson laughs still clinging to laugh as he is barely audible, "don't cry demon, what childish fear haunts you?", he asks my master in the fatherly tone he gave to the members of Iscariot, a far cry from earlier when he sounded horrified by the presence of him , "don't cry over it demon, didn't you become a demon so you didn't have to cry anymore, when a man's tears finally dry up he becomes a demon so let me hear that prideful arrogant laugh of yours", what is left of Anderson manages asks him, "I'll continue until the sins of my past finally catch up with me and are consumed by my future, see you in limbo, eventually... ", Anderson's severed arm crumbling in on it's own weight.

"I hear voices... ", Anderson says, his voice strained as he uses the last of his energy to speak, "the voices of children... they sound so playful... the children... I'm going now...", his remaining arm crumbles like the rest of him as he holds it out to someone who doesn't exist, his voice turns into a whisper too quiet for me to work out what he is saying with his face starting to crumble mid-sentence leaving a small pile of ash that was formerly him.

My heart goes out for the members of Iscariot, tears barely held in their eyes as they peak their heads out of what cover they managed to get too among the ruins with their leader's remains able to fit into a shoebox as it lie on the pavement. "Amen", Alucard finishes a prayer alongside, his face looks worse than all of Iscariot, Anderson's death hitting him harder than I could have ever thought, I want to do something to cheer him up but all my thoughts seem inappropriate for the situation as It already feels as if no-one wants me here and being rude would not endear me to anyone let alone some of the more anger-prone members of Iscariot, my eyes linger over the German Nun showing a facial expression which wasn't a scowl.

"Amen".

Out of nowhere a man in black appears and immediately decides to crush what remains of Anderson's skull under foot.

"W- walter... ", Integra stutters out as if she can't believe her eyes obviously knowing the man, I try to remember his face from the briefings I was given about Hellsing but nothing comes to mind as it only angers me further how little I know of the world around me especially so those I am meant to be fighting. "Is that you Walter?!", he lights a cigarette with high right hand before kicking Anderson's chest out of the way, looking at his feet he swipes away what ash cling to his shoes on his trouser leg, "rubbish, when you die you become rubbish and what reason is there to bother mourning rubbish, don't you agree Integra?" his casual tones continues while he slowly smokes from his cigarette.

Iscariot are barely holding back their rage as they stare at him with looks that if they could would kill him a thousand times over, "Walter sir, what the hell did they do to you?" Seras stands identical to Integra in almost catatonic shock.

"'What did they do?', clearly they've captured and vampirized me, they've also brainwashed me and are forcing me into fighting against my former compatriots, is that what you wanted to hear Seras? but no, I stand here not on the whim of anyone else, I stand before you to satisfy my own means, I stand here for Walter C. Dornez and after festering here within my own hateful malice, I feel it's time to sever your link to the coming dawn.", his arrogant tone reminding me of Alucard though you can hardly call it arrogance as these quiet streets can show, all he has is his bravado and little to show but glares of hatred from his enemies.

"**Why Walter?!"**

"**Don't say my name anymore"**, he shouts back at Integra though their screaming match is interrupted by Yumie, Walter's arrogance and insults being too much for her as she decides to charge at him.

Looking at her as she sprints towards him I agree with her choice of actions, lifting my rifle up and hm it at him shouting out my good luck line before firing,"Tinker tailor soldier sailor, my bullet punishes all without distinction", my involvement catches him off guard as he looks at me as if he has only just realised just too late that I exist and am trying to kill him, I'll show them that I can do something and not just stand while the world crumbles around us.

He tries to block me using his metal wires but he isn't good enough to stop me as my bullet trails around it hitting him directly in the chest, the force of the impact sends him flying back almost causing him to lose balance as I hit him again, his hands are useless as he tries to use his special brand of dental floss to defend himself, the metal glints in what light there is showing that he has no control and is defenseless as Yumie reaches him, she is relentlessly brutal slicing his chest half a dozen times a second making the traitor unable to even as much as react under a near constant barrage of hits.

"Enough", Alucard cries as he dives inbetween Yumie & Walter sending them both flying as he hits them both, Yumie's katana landing by my feet blade first while it's owner lands next to Integra staying prone, too scared of whether Alucard is coming for him or her to consider running. While Walter on the other hand had managed to stay upright despite but his body shows the injuries he sustained, his black suit is in tatters and red where me and Yumie had managed to hit him.

"Was it all a lie Walter, all of your pride and stubbornness in refusing to take the easy way out means little to the abomination that stands before me, your old body was a trillion times more beautiful than what you are now", Alucard looks down on his old friend with disdain plastered on his face at his betrayal, "you truly see yourself as the 'Angel of Death', I see a child who wants what isn't his". I reload my jezail as quickly as I can scrambling for my bullets with my hands shaking uncontrolably as I do so, looking up I spot the Captain on the remains of a skyscraper spying on us from a distance though as he looks at me looking back at him he jumps to another perch vanishing behind another skyscraper.

"No more childish than you Alucard with two fledglings who should be dead if you hadn't decided to play god", Walter spits back either uncaring or unknowing about his loneliness in the Lion's den.

Alucard walks foreard shortening the distance between him & Walter, "Give me your orders master as I can kill, I can load the magazine pull back the slide and remove the safety but the you must pull the trigger, so what are your orders my master?". Integra coldly lights herself another cigar. "Say the words milady" Walter shouts at her ignored though as she takes a long drag from her cigar she, "search and destroy, my orders have not changed no matter the foe, you are now an enemy of Hellsing and Great Britain Walter, may god have mercy on your soul, now search and destroy Alucard leave not a trace of his betrayal", Integra orders, the pain on her voice is evident but what qualms or regret she may have about killing someone who was such a close ally for so long come second to her duty, the unflinching nature of Integra's stare asking everyone if they had any objections before she gets on with her cigar makes me wonder if Millenium ever had a chance against such a force of will.

"Yes... my master", Alucard says immediately punching the butler, his body goes flying a few metres before landing roughly on the ground within seconds of the order.

"Well said Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, I suppose calling you 'Amateur' is out of the question, that's in the past I shan't say it again, you've matured into what I can call a 'true enemy'!, you've gone from a minuscule enemy I'd have just cast aside, and evolved into the most powerful enemy of all", the Major's voice comes over the loudspeaker as the Deus Ex Machina descends rapidly towards us toppling Nelson's Column as it does so, the zeppelin slowing down as it lands a few metres away from us. "Let's shuffle the cards a bit then", the large mechanical doors opening up, a ramp extending itself out before lowering itself down to give us access, at the top stands Schrödinger, "The third reich cordially invites you to the airship Deus Ex Machina", his grin only annoying me more as I realise what Alucard meant when he said I didn't belong among them. It felt arrogant to say but I lacked arrogance, it was something everyone in Millenium shared that something only 60 years of self-gratification can do, though I had given up on this idea as the allies forced their way to Berlin from the brink of defeat leaving it and many other cities shells of what they once were all the while our organisation was forced to flee to South America just to survive.

"Go on, go and end this nightmare that that man has concocted, the dawn is fast approaching and I must deal with the man that stands before me". Integra ignores the ramp and the imbecilic cat-boy that stands at the top of it squatting down next to the Japanese-Welsh nun, "come on papist, you've been press ganged into Hellsing", grabbing the swordswoman's hand and pulling her to her feet before she has a chance to object, "You can bring Ms. Burn-Them-All and her friends with you", the rest seem annoyed by this twist of fate but resigned to it anyway.

Schrödinger moans at us to speed up go ignored as he waits impatiently not expecting to be ignored like this, his annoyance cheers me up a little as I watch his ears flutter and his legs tap the floor.

"Seras", Alucard asks for his fledgling before she leaves, "M- master?", "help our master end this madness and bring Lieutenant Winkle with you", she turns to me in surprise as if she was only just realising I was here eying me up like a strange animal, "you can trust her, now go and help your master".

"Walter sir", Seras cries out before she follows Integra into the lions den, "even though you say that you've changed thank you for everything you've done, it's been an honour", her words perturb him more than our attacks did, "same to you", is all he can say as he tries to regain his composure.

Taking Yumie's katana from It's landing spot I offer it back to her, it takes her a moment before she accepts it not quite trusting me yet. Though she has little to trust me on, as a vampire I'm everything she hates with the hunter in her wanting to just walk away and have nothing to do with me ,I wouldn't blame her if she did but part of her wouldn't want to let a demon be the better of the two when it came to turning the other cheek offering me her hand carefully.

"Yumiko Takagi".

"Uh... Rip Van Winkle".

"Like the book?", Seras asks gingerly behind us trying her best not to make this conversation any more awkward than it already is.

"Yes... my mother loved the story and named me after him when they thought I was going to be a boy and refused to change it when I ended up being a girl", I didn't really want to get this personal this quickly but they would have found out eventually and they are being far nicer than I expected them to be. I felt angry though as I heard her laugh at me, "I thought I had it bad with Seras", she and Yumie laugh more though reacting to something which was likely my embarrassment to thinking she was that shallow.

"Come on you lot", Integra shouts over to us already half way up the ramp with her sword and pistol drawn, Iscariot have decided to take up her request for assistance standing right behind her on the ramp. Catching her breath Seras looks at me seriously, "you ready?", "As I'll ever be".

"Welcome aboard La-", Schrödinger is killed mid-sentence again his body landing on the floor trampled as everyone marches onto the ship, looking down I try to feel sorry for him but it isn't there all I can think of doing is giving him a good kick as some sort of revenge before catching up with the rest of the group while they are still in sight.

As we made our way through the ship the last battalion is there to stop us, or at least try to each line of defense falls to our onslaught as I lead our group through all the shortcuts and side passages that they wouldn't know about unless they had someone who knew the ship intimately, it was going well and we were around halfway there when we saw him, the Captain standing at the end of the corridor silent as ever staring at us.

"Please go on ahead master", Seras says as she moves ahead slightly bracing herself for an impact, "go ahead and kill that major before he can do more damage", Integra sighs not wanting to argue with her, "don't you dare die, I won't forgive you if you do", putting what must be her last cigar to her mouth ready to light it the Captain puts his hand up to some a direction sign pointing towards the helm, willying letting us past we begin to leave Seras to fight him, while he may be the only one in Millenium I despise the least it is not enough to hope he wins.

"Good luck" I tell Seras before following everyone past the Captain.

"Thank you", Seras not losing an ounce of concentration as she stares at him.

Though as I walk past he grabs my shoulder, my heart skips a few dozen beats while I face him only lasting a few seconds before I decide that staring down at the floor was better than looking at him not wanting to look him in the eyes though my choice in the matter is an illusion as he lifts up my head up to face him. His small smile is worse than any amount of scowling he could do, it is one thing the stab your friends in the back and another to find out that they were happy you had done so.

He takes his hat off, removing the SS emblem attached to the front discarding it to the floor, placing it carefully on my head adjusting it in a motherly fashion that seems ill suited for him, "T-thank you", is all that I can think to utter as he adjust my uniforms neckline positioning himself behind me before pushing me towards the rest of the group getting me out of the way before he moves his attention onto Seras not even giving me a chance to say good bye before they start fighting.

Leaving them behind It doesn't take long to catch up with the rest of the group as they stand at a fork in the path, everyone turning to face me as I approach, "Where is the engine room Lieutenant?" Integra asks.

"Uh..." pointing at the right corridor, "third corridor on the left, you can't miss it".

"Thank you" turning to Iscariot she orders them, "you can be useful for once and blow up those engines, I don't want this ship moving anywhere and once you've done that you'll return to the Vatican and tell your superiors how well your invasion went", they don't seem too thrilled about the last part but they head off regardless, "Now which way to the helm?".

"Take the left and it is at the end", my response sounds more like a question as I wonder why she needs directions if I'm with her.

"Good, finally can you tell me where they keep all of their vampire research?".

"Yes, the Doktor has a large medical area with all the research", 60 years of his research were kept hidden in his laboratories which I had only seen once when I became a vampire and was glad it was the last time I had been, the rooms were strange especially his specimen that he enjoys showing off.

"Burn it all then meet me at the helm".

"Yes Master", I stand to attention at the orders my old habits dying hard before running down the same corridor Iscariot had gunfire from the engine room being clear before dying away as I take a different turning to them.

It takes me a few minutes to reach to reach the laboratory, the door slightly ajar with the sounds of rustling paper and curses in german coming from within.

Slipping inside the room my size letting me get in unnoticed, ahead of me by a large workstation in the corner of the room the Dokter is grabbing research papers at random and pushing them into an already overflowing doctor's bag obviously trying to save as much of his work as possible before fleeing the city. My position in dark of the room almost causes him to miss me as he rushes to another workstation but he looks like a cat caught in the headlights of car as he notices me staring at him, "R-rip, what are you doing here?", looking at me like he's seen a ghost not believing I'm still alive let alone in his office.

"Destroying Millennium's research" is all I can think of saying though it is unlikely that he could stop me, it doesn't stop him from searching his pockets.

"I should have known my greatest disappointment would disappoint me again", he scowls at me regaining his composure, "why else do you think you were sent after the Eagle, the distraction was all you were good for", his words would have hurt me if I hadn't lost any interest in what use I was to Millennium, "and while there you betray those who looked after you for 60 years, is your loyalty is really that cheap " muttering at me with an insult that most children would think poor.

"When I'm used as bait and when that fails you try to activate a bomb in my chest I start rethinking who I should be loyal too" .

"That's enough out of you Lieutenant, I won't fail a second time", pulling his arm out of pocket pointing a pistol at me determined to kill me.

As he races to shoot me my instincts take over and I dive onto him, the force of my dive sending him crashing against a wall with him managing to fire a few shots off before the pain of me placing his wrist in a position it shouldn't makes him dropping it to lessen the pain seem like a good choice, "Bitch", he screams at me his facial expressions showing the pain he is in though a sprained wrist is the least of his worries.

Picking up my rifle I put it up to his chest just like Alucard did to me, he begins begging me not to do what I plan despite how futile his begging is with nothing he can say able to affect my actions. I thrust it into his chest as hard as I can and after a few seconds of difficulty the musket makes its way going through him and out the back with his mouth opening in a wordless scream of pain followed by slower and smaller breaths, "**hurt's doesn't it?!"** I find myself screaming at him, "mercy...", his voice now is frail as he begs for his life not sharing the same death wish like the rest of Millenium.

"**I'm going show you the same mercy you showed me earlier"**, twisting it roughly around in his chest his struggling breathes are overshadowed by my screams of anger as I continuing to punish his body.

"**That is only the start"**, I continue to scream at him pulling the rifle out of him letting his body fall to the floor with it slumping unnaturally as he lands on the ground, by the time I realise it he is already growing cold as it takes a minute to catch up with reality, he's dead, though his death causes little to soothe the anger only to realise that it is far too late to turn back.

Wanting to beat him some more though as much as I hate him I cannot bring myself to unleash more of my fury on him, his quick and painful death along with the destruction of his life's work will have to be enough of a punishment.

Searching the shelves it doesn't take long to find what I need to torch the place, pouring varying flammable substances over the workstations and papers within the room, a single match setting the room ablaze with the combined mixture proving to be highly volatile only just escaping the room before the heat overpowers me, managing a quick glance back into the room as the flames and smoke start to cover the room leaving little trace of anything but mostly the visibility, with my job done I make my way through the maze of corridors towards the helm.

After a few minutes of running I reach the helm, inside the Major sits comfortably on his chair with the same grin and aura of calm around him as always despite his situation, Lady Integra stands opposite to him more angry than before with Seras standing next to her having survived fighting the Captain.

"It is nice of you to join us Lieutenant though I am sorely disappointed in your betrayal seeing you turn your back on us so easily" putting his hands to his chest in a mock gesture of how hurt he is, "but you will help defeat me as I have defeated Alucard" standing from his chair and sweeping his arms into the air, "come, your enemy is right here".

"Seras", Integra stares coldly at him as she points her arm at him, "search and destroy... **search and destroy"**, she shouts her orders with Seras pulling up her rifle and pounding a glass wall inbetween us with shots causing little damage apart from some small marks where she hit, the rifle soon making a clicking sound as it runs of bullets to fire, throwing the gun angrily away as she uses the black tendrils that sprout out of where her left arm should be to pierces a hole into the floor beneath her pulling from the room below an 88mm cannon more suited for a submarine than as a personal defense weapon.

"An 88mm, I like it", The Major shouts for some reason overjoyed at Seras's choice of weapon, the loud boom from the cannon is followed by a larger explosion as the shell hits the wall of the zeppelin piercing the glass with ease, smoke fills up the room while sunlight comes through the hole that the explosion ripped open.

As visibility returns to the room the Major lies against what is left of his chair, "It's over Major" Integra tells him, "It looks like it but I'm not done yet" The Major replies determinately lifting himself up so he isn't slouched against the floor revealing the Major's metallic insides.

"That's really you...".

"Yes, this is me".

"Machine", Seras says to no-one in particular.

"How rude of you to say such a thing young lady, I am human through a-".

"Monster", Integra interrupts him, "You're a monster"

"You're wrong, I am human, only one thing makes a human, one thing, It's your own will. For them blood is the currency of the soul, if they don't take it from others they cannot live, like that pitiful monster Alucard, do not put me on the same level as him, as long as I have my will I am human. As when Alucard puts on the face of a young girl or a war veteran it shows I despise him, he is a monster that looks human and I am a human that looks like a monster, now I made my proclamation of war a long time ago now let's make war as I am not done yet!"

"Rip?", Integra asks for me ignoring the Major's rant.

"Yes?", I respond as she turns to face me.

"Search and destroy, that is an order", It takes me a second to get my head around the order but after seeing what Alucard and Seras do when the order is given I raise my rifle without hesitation and shoot at the Major, my shot flying true and hitting him in the head sending him sprawling to the ground before swinging around to hit him a few more times just to make sure he is truly dead, "thank you Lieutenant, you have shown yourself quite useful".

"T-thank you Master" Integra's surprising warmness to me catches me offguard.

Turning around she pulls another cigar from her pocket, "hmmm, my last one, Seras remind me to order some more when we get back home", lighting it as she walks past us with Seras looking gleeful at the command as if they have both forgotten about what has just happened, "of course master".

The sun was finally rising still above London as we exited from the Deus Ex Machina, at the bottom of the Zeppelin were the remnants of Iscariot who were a few priests short, "I thought I told you to leave this country papists", Integra teases them with no spite in her words.

"We would if it wasn't for that damn butler of yours, he killed four of our men and took one of Yumie's legs, she'll live but he didn't", Heinkel says bitterly as if his death wasn't quite enough and I know how that feels. "Then you can come with us when the army arrives, we have closer hospitals than you do and it is the least we can do for your co-operation", the offer of help shocks the nun who must have been expecting a different response entirely, "thank you Lady Integra, you are too kind" Heinkel's says awkwardly the formality unsuited to her though as she spots me properly her face lights up as she removes something from her pocket as if I can get her out of the niceties of dealing with Lady Integra, "Lieutenant, I have something for you", my mind is blank as I think of what it could be until she forces a letter into my hand, "we found this on the ground, it has your name on it so we didn't dare open it".

On the front of the letter my name is written out in ink in some impressive handwriting, "we think it belonged to Alucard but we don't know" Heinkel continues as Integra and Seras crowd around me. "that is his handwriting", Integra confirms her suspicions as she looks over my shoulder almost trying to take the letter off me but let me have the honour of holding it. Opening the letter reveals a small booklet with _Der Freischutz_ written in big bold letters with 'Apollo Victoria' written in small words below, "A programme?" Seras calls out just as confused as me, what was he doing with a programme for Der Freischutz, "Apollo Victoria isn't doing Der Freischutz they never have".

"It's a fake, what was Alucard doing with a fake programme for Der Freischutz"

"Well there is only one way to find out", opening it to find the foreword was written by him.

Foreword

by Alucard

Integra, Seras and most importantly Rip, these are my thoughts behind my actions pre-prepared to give you and while I would tell you in person this paper will do to guide you, starting when I was sifting through The Dandy Man's memories I found that he had read something he shouldn't, a letter about the distraction they will use to lure away 'Hellsing's Trump Card' from London during their plan of attack, using an inexperienced soldier called Rip Van Winkle to do so, I did not care heavily about the Lieutenant but within the letter contained an excessively cruel amount of information about her love of a terrible opera called Der Freischutz, while it is a pointless and ridiculous reason their dislike despite how fair it may be angered me more than enough to decide to change their plans more to my liking. It was because during my time here I have traveled far and in the early 19th century my time was spent in Berlin, among my stay here Carl Maria von Weber came to my acquittance and from this came Der Freischutz, I have always had a fondness for this piece with the premier being an excellent show and while their cruel barbs are meaningless I feel that they deserved some form of retribution, the results of which should be evident.

The foreword ending quickly and inconclusively ending up leaving more questions than answers, "Alucard knew Carl Von Weber" I say slowly trying to understand the implications of this as well as the possibility that is all just a lie and he is further messing with us, "What else is there?", Seras asks me just as curious.

The contents page was next, containing the main characters but not who's playing them though as I looked through the list it reaches something strange as each of the seven bullets is put down as a character forcing me to fight against my curiosity to skip ahead and turn to the next page.

Max, assistant forester and the main character of _Der Freischutz_ is on the next page with his short description looking like it should be the photograph of the actress playing him has my attention at this time, the freckled teen with pigtails I was when I first joined Millenium, I'm not the only one who's noticed as Seras's schoolgirl glee isn't making it any better along with Heinkel & Integra clearly reveling in this as well behind the stubborn professionalism. "It isn't that bad, I'm sure Heinkel looked worse at your age", Seras said loving all of this as she wraps an arm around me which doesn't really help as I still look like a peach, "I looked fine back then", Heinkel not really accepting the friendly mocking, "can we read on now?".

Gladly moving my hand over to get away from the embarrassment of the last one with Kaspar being next on the list, the forester who made a deal with the devil and tried to trick Max into extending the length of his deal as an unwitting sacrifice to the black huntsman Samiel, his page matches mine in similarity until I reach the image of the Major at the bottom, his smiling face looks at mine as his words echo through my mind again.

"First Lieutenant Rip Van Winkle, Do you know how Der Freischütz ends?, Kaspar having trifled with the black huntsman Samiel, is whisked away to hell for his sins", those words scared me once, "His body is thrown down a ravine to be eaten by wolves", in the end it wasn't me who he was after making Alucard's first words from the Adler take a new meaning within his opera, "Kaspar cannot escape the judgment of the huntsman by placing a sacrifice in his stead", as I was The Major's sacrifice to Alucard like Max was Kaspar's sacrifice to Samiel.

Skipping to the next page I find Alucard's picture with his massive grin smiling back at us seemingly knowing exactly how his plan ended up, on the next page were all the other characters in the opera matched with one of us, Cuno the father of Max's fiancéeAgathe matched up with Integra below is Agathe herself with a group of soldiers, in the middle is Seras, likely they were Hellsing's ground troops and Ännchen, Agathe's cousin, in her place is the priest from before along with what looks like Heinkel & Yumie when they were children so happy when compared with now as one of them died barely human and another missing a limb.

Behind more side characters and people I've never met I finally reach the page I wanted from the start with a full title page telling me I've arrived 'The Seven Bullets' written in handwriting similar to that on the cover, flipping the page over to an image of a bloody cross on a wall the details of what it had once been are barely there with only the name 'Leif' written in red marker along with a circled number one in the top right corner.

It was the same for the second body on the screen, a long haired brunette lying in the grass with a pool of blood around her originating from a hole in her chest the size of a fist, a two is written on the image like the first along with her name of Jessica underneath. Next was a headless priest with missing limbs and a bloody mess all around him worse than with Leif beforehand the name 'Badrick' and the number three with it.

Four and five were the brothers Valentine who were recruited and sent off to kill the round table while they were all together which ending in failure as both brothers died in the attempt along with the army of ghouls that went with them all that was left of them is a pile of ash that was once Jan, the crude and more annoying one of the pair, Luke not having anything but a blank image and his name. The Dandy Man was sixth and it all but confirmed what I had started to suspect, all of these were once agents of Millenium killed by Alucard over the past year, slowly and surely being picked off one by one until only the seventh remained, that was where I came in.

Sure enough my photo from earlier came to haunt me again on the last page, the seventh bullet was me and so it was Alucard's plan came to fruition the moment I killed The Major in the same way the seventh bullet and Max killed Kaspar.

"What was his plan, I do not understand?", Heinkel asks racking her brain over the issue.

Integra says in her calculated fashion staring intently at the programme in my hand, "In Der Freischutz Kaspar tries to trick the devil Samiel into taking the soul of Max to give him more time, he fails as the seventh magic bullet that was cast by Samiel kills him, Alucard's plan was to use the Lieutenant to kill the Millenium leadership in what to him was a highly ironic and humorous fashion", staring at Heinkel as if to ask if that was enough information for her.

"I think I get it", she says meekly when compared with earlier Integra's imposing presence probably having an affect on her.

Within three hours of the Deus Ex Machina going down a British strike force had entered the city and started searching for survivors, their engines were heard long before we saw them, a helicopter lands next to what is left of Nelson's Column, after a small stream of soldiers secures the area around the exit incase the large group of special forces sitting around the burnt out skeleton of the Deus Ex Machina had missed something. Once they were totally certain it was safe two old men walk out after them, the one on the right wearing a military uniform and a beret, the one on the left in a suit and glasses.

"Lady Integra", the suited gentleman shouts out hurrying towards us.

"Sir Irons", she replies familiarly obviously glad that he is here to meet us.

"It is glad to find you well, when we lost contact with command we feared the worst but we still had faith", he smiles at her not showing much emotion behind his tinted glasses.

"And that explosion was an excellent signal, the moment we had secured our defenses around London we rounded up what we could to relieve you in the city proper", the general says cheerfully patting his colleague on the back, Sir Irons acts like nothing had happened standing still like a statue, "Yes, and now that their main attack force is destroyed and they have only scattered remnants and traitors around we have decided to let the army handle this issue".

"I highly disagree Irons, they are still vampires and Hellsing's job to exterminate them" Integra's anger flaring up at being ignored when they made that decision.

"As much as Hellsing is appropriate for the task you have only two members... "

"Three", Integra interrupts with Irons continuing as if he hadn't even been interrupted at all.

"Three members left in your entire organisation, let the army deal with this one Integra".

"Yes sir", she is angry and as much as I can tell she doesn't want to back down so easily his logic is infallible, we aren't ready for such a threat.

"Excellent, you are needed in Edinburgh as we have enacted the Churchill Plan and we need someone with your experience at the top influencing the sheep at Holyrood before they start messing everything up as they tend to do", turning around returning into the helicopter, it's rotors beginning to spin again as he approaches.

"Good luck Integra", the general says as an aide drags him away their conversation moving onto troop movements and incoming TROJAN's, "Thank you Walsh", Integra following Irons towards the helicopter, "come on then miss burn-them-all unless you want to be stuck in London for the foreseeable future".

Heinkel begins the round up her survivors with only a few complaints at Integra's expense though always out of earshot of her not wanting to end up being left behind with a none too happy British Army. Filling up the helicopter with her wounded trapping those lucky enough to escape intact together like sardines in the middle, managing to end up by a window I watch as we fly away from London, the ruined city still burning on like Dresden while the roof of St. Pauls remains as untouched as it had during World War Two, it was a good symbol of Hellsing & Iscariot as a whole despite both organisations managing to fit together in a single helicopter, we were down but we are far from out.

* * *

And that is it for chapter two folks, while I am annoyed that a large part of the start is just Rip watching Alucard & Anderson fight I felt that it was too important a moment to miss out because it was in the orignal. I hope you enjoyed it regardless and if you want to review it please do as I want to hear what you feel of my writing, see you in the next update whenever that gets done.


	3. Treaty of Edinburgh

Disclaimer: This if my fan fic, there are many like it but this one is mine apart from the setting which is not mine.

Chapter three is done and I enter what will be the main story for this fic, no spoilers, until then enjoy this chapter and review with your thoughts and criticisms as they will help me improve this.

* * *

Hours go by as we fly towards Edinburgh, this would be fine if it wasn't silent apart from the sound of the rotor blades spinning above with no-one willing to talk, whatever confidence that caused Seras to be friendly to me earlier is gone as she looks at me warily probably wondering how I fit into Millenium having heard how she met Zorin not too long ago, I would talk to Integra if she didn't intimidate me so much just with her presence though she's spent the entire flight in the cockpit doing something important enough to me drag away for a few hundred miles.

The door to cockpit opens revealing a slightly more bedraggled Integra than the one that entered earlier, before I have a chance to say something to her she beats me to the punch, "We are five minutes away from Edinburgh so ready your wounded and yourself" her announcement to the room causing a ripple of activity as she finishes her words ending my last chance of conversation as everyone is far too busy getting ready for when we arrive for small talk. I look outside the window as Edinburgh comes into the sight with the lights in the mounting dark make it stand out among the countryside that surrounds it, cars drive along the roads connecting the city with the rest of Scotland like a heart pumping blood around the body though the peace of the countryside is broken among the city proper with the people below going on with their lives regardless of the damage caused in London.

When we do land it is in the almost empty car park of Edinburgh Castle apart from the small army of soldiers waiting to greet us on arrival, as we land a uniformed colonel steps away from the safety of his men and greets us cheerfully, "Sir Irons it is good to have you but we didn't expect you so quickly" which would sound nicer if he wasn't backed with all of his men aiming his weapons at a group of people who attempted to invade their country only a few hours before. "We left London earlier than expected, are the accommodations ready?" Sir Irons responds in his calm calculated fashion just as calm as the British commander, "almost as it was mostly intact from when they used it as a tourist attraction so it didn't require that much more work to it" he couldn't be less clear as they converse over this 'accommodation' with it sounding less and less like a nice bedroom as they continue, "good good, could you take me to Prime Minister Brown, I heard he wanted to speak with me?".

"Of course sir" he answers before spinning around and returning to his men with Sir Irons in tow causing our entire party to walk after them in a strange procession that would be considered unusual on most days, "Henderson take charge here until I get back" the Colonel says to a youngish Lieutenant as he walks past him uncaring at his initial reaction of shock he produces quickly saluting back at his commander following this by the stupid or brave move of blocking Heinkel mid-stride from even with all the power he has behind him up her disdainful stare causes him to almost ruin his trousers, "Ma'am... I have been ordered to escort you to the dungeons" he quickly utters out as his lack of a reason causes Heinkel to forgo to do something stupid "so if you could please hand over any weapons you have". Heinkel looked as if she could murder the man as she handed of her pistols along with the slow stream of the rest of Iscariot.

Looking at the now disarmed Iscariot I began to realize why that colonel was so happy as he left with his subordinate having to control one of scariest women in the city, Henderson wasn't so lucky as he stood bravely trying to follow out his orders. "What of our wounded?" Heinkel asks him impatiently as she points at the injured members of Iscariot though they all seem secondary to the unconscious Yumie, "We have doctor's on site, they will be cared for to the best of our ability" his confidence in their ability does little to ease the tenseness of their conversation as he still looks scared out of his wits unlike Heinkel who has began to calm down, "if you will follow me you are to be kept in the castle", he walks off toward the castle as Iscariot and his men follow him disappearing as they enter the castle leaving us alone in the now empty courtyard with only the gentle sounds of the city around us.

It isn't long until the Lieutenant returns more disheveled than before with an ice pack over his left eye, "Sorry for the delay, we had some problems with that damn German and her Japanese friend", as he switches around the ice pack he reveals his bright black eye that Heinkel must have done to him for some reason that probably wasn't worth it but she did it anyway, "where was I... oh yes, your accommodation, Holyrood is opening their rooms up for high ranking officials so you have been sent there they are expecting you so just head down the mile you can't miss it" he asks hopefully looking like he wants nothing more than to just crawl under some covers and sleep which doesn't sound too bad now that I think about it.

The bed is comfy when I wake despite it being a coffin, sitting up reveals the large room I was given last night by a terrified soldier wondering if he was my next meal which I would have found it funny if he didn't act all chummy with Seras when he showed her to her room, likely the rumours of where I came from reaching even here long before I arrived.

My morning haze disappears as a creak of the door quickly grabs my attention, the same soldier from the day previous walking in slowly shaking a fancy silver dinner tray with a blood pack on it, "Breakfast" is all he quickly mumbles and if I didn't have superior hearing I wouldn't have understood a thing he said and within a moment of placing the tray on the table he flees from the room as if it were on fire.

All I can do though is sigh wishfully hoping to be treated with some respect even if it is just the ability to stay in the same room as me without a form of protection despite not really deserving it in any way, getting a second chance is more than I deserved but I still got one which has led me to a bedroom in one of the royal palaces, being looked at as if any second I'll going on killing spree is more than fair though my reasoning is worth little as my sleep addled brain realises I've been in my underwear this entire time. Turning into a beetroot I sprout up from my coffin bed scanning the room for my clothes finding them neatly folded and cleaned on the bed making his hasty exit a little less rude as walking in on a girl getting changed is usually considered bad taste, ex-nazi vampire or not.

By the time I've changed and had a bite to eat it is almost midday, the small library of books dotted around the room are uninteresting and to be ignored unless I am desperate to learn about how to succeed at chess and the origins of tennis. The corridor is just as uninteresting with it being an empty passage just as ancient and expensive as my room, expense is clear over the tables along the walls making it seem busier than it actually is with two more bedrooms in this section of the building a door rests at the end bringing you to a small atrium and the rest of Holyrood. Slowly making my way along it hoping to avoid Seras & Integra as while I may be part of Hellsing my recruitment wasn't really on the books with them not owing me any favours, quite the opposite but they had bigger things to deal with right now with Alucard's death and London's destruction than the new recruit, all I would do is get in the way and make things worse than they already were seeing as I was part of the cause for problem A & B along with being number C.

I could disappear off for a few hours to the castle, I think Heinkel likes me but I can't be sure unless I visit though if it fails and she wants nothing to do with me it has kept me out of Hellsing's hair and I've always wanted to visit the castle properly.

"Don't bother, they won't let us out" Seras's voice makes me jump as my hand almost touches the door handle, so much for being stealthy, "I tried earlier, Integra's orders apparently" she continues leaning against the door frame for support looking like sleep decided to skip her out last night, "would you like some tea?" she asks pointlessly as we both know how despite how high a quality the tea leaves or how perfect the temperature of the water it would taste like the foulest of poisons to us.

"Um... ", Seras's thousand yard stare quickly makes the origins of tennis becoming a lot more interesting, "sure" the words 'not right now' had never sounded so different as she beams at me disappearing into her room leaving me alone out in the corridor with the foot in my mouth.

Following her into an almost exact replica of my room apart from the wall colour and a few extra cabinets surrounding the walls, by the time I sit down on at the table she's already poured us some of her lukewarm tea knowing that neither of us were interested in drinking.

It's a good five minutes until Seras says something realising that I wasn't going to start anytime soon, "how is everyone treating you?" her question confuses me enough that my face must have pulled an amusing expression "that soldier yesterday thought you were going to murder him but that is probably just a vampire thing".

"No, they know, why would he be fine with you but not me though I don't mind that and the stares I get as I should have died on the Eagle instead I'm in Holyrood as a member of Hellsing, It's more than I deserve".

"That's one way to look at it" her unconvinced tone is evident though it becomes more cheerful as she continues, "well I'm sure they'll change their mind when you start helping around, they just think you are like all the Nazis from their childhood war films".

"War films?" Seras forgetting I spent the past 60 years stuck in a bunker in Brazil, what is normal for her is alien to me.

"You know, The Great Escape, Battle of Britain,..." she continues to list off a dozen more films that I've never heard of and sound sort of war related, "no I don't" I reply bluntly having never heard let alone seen a single one of them.

"You need to see them they're classics" her excitement does little to encourage me as I'm guessing my nation aren't the good guys, "but aren't germans you know... the villains?" this revelation seems to take her a minute to work out "well you're part of Hellsing now so you're one of the good guys right?" she answers unsure of her own argument, "so it's a yes?" Seras says disappearing into the corridor seemingly taking my bemused expression as a 'yes' not waiting for me to say no.

An hour later a group of soldiers walk in armed with various electronics and a box of films, "If we can't go out they can bring it to us" Seras says reappearing with them beginning to scavenge through a box of movies they brought through.

Two hours later we are most of the way into 'the greatest war film of all time' according to Seras and not much has happened apart from the quite recent escape from Stalag Luft 3 with a pretty amiable portrayal of the germans so I can't help but enjoy it.

Three more films and I manage to get back into my room intact as Seras tries to catch me up on 60 years of film culture starting with the second world war, the sound of her flipping through titles is seeping in through the thin walls of my room and that is how my week ends up being spent, trapped in a castle watching movies while the whole world deals with revelation that Bram Stoker wrote fact instead of fiction.

What information that got through to us in our isolation was that the world wasn't taking the news very well with the only thing preventing full scale riots being a near worldwide organised response as all those complicit in keeping vampires secret did their best to fix the mistake they made in letting Millennium succeed as well as they did. A quick knock and a creak of the door announces my breakfast with the third unknown soldier delivering, this one looks identical to the last two as he eyes me up trying to work out if I'm going to eat him or not though apart from the stares he is braver than them as he waits around to ask if I need anything, a quick 'no thank you' is all he needs to quickly leave me alone to a litre of AB+ yet within seconds of his disappearance the door opens again and before I can tell him to leave me alone to my Seras is thrusting a newspaper in my face.

Giving her a moment to regain her composure and give me some personal space I begin to read the paper, the headline is clear with the entire page taken up by the title 'Vampire Hunters Converge On Edinburgh' with a picture of Integra giving some kind of speech taking up the page with some tidbits of information dotted about describing a meeting to occur on the sunday with representatives from all the major organisations making an appearance.

"What?" is all I can blurt out as I begin to read the article a few pages within.

"It is a conference of some kind to..."

"Create an organised collaboration of anti-vampire organisations to limit the damage the remnants of Millennium can cause" Integra cutting off Seras as she stands in the doorway with the same bored expression as always.

"Then why are we being kept here?" I ask her before she has a chance to leave us for another week.

"Yes, some of these organisations are not as liberal as we when it comes to our recruitment policy so you're being kept here to make things easier under the impression you are our prisoner until the meeting when they will realise otherwise and when they are all on their best behavior unable to complain while they sign something that forces them not too because I know that you will give what information you have freely, am I right?", I gulp some air as she asks me and it doesn't take much thinking to work out what to say as her terms are more than fair and I have nothing to protect by refusing her which brings a wry smile to her lips as I respond with a confident "yes".

"Now if you've finished watching movies all day get sorted as if you haven't realised that paper is two days old", looking at the date written in small block letters at the top of the page it is Friday 17th October, "It's tonight?" I quietly ask as Seras rips the paper from my hands and comes to the same conclusion as I, "Yes, now you have five hours until a the meeting so get ready to go by then" Integra orders us clearly before leaving us alone again.

Seras soon follows after her leaving me alone in a far too large a room until a meeting with the leaders of every anti-vampire group on the planet, time passes slowly as the meeting creeps up on me not paying attention to the clock hoping that if I can't see it, it won't move, though it doesn't work like that though Seras is probably as full of nerves as I am so disturbing her is out of the question though It doesn't stop her from doing that to me as she walks in half an hour before the meeting looking strangely calm, "Are you ready yet?" she asks as she sits across from me seemingly fine with a meeting with the firing squad of our kind.

"Just waiting on you" I lie.

"Great" the exuberant Draculina grabbing my hands and dragging me out of my chair with her, "Integra is waiting, let's go".

One quick car journey for some apparent safety concerns later and we standing at a large table on the grounds of Edinburgh Castle as with the inside being taken up by the rest of the army for now the only room for a meeting spot so secure was an out of the way garden overlooking Edinburgh's Old Town.

The large table was already full by the time we arrived, Integra's sitting at the head of the table in a large gothic looking chair while around her sat her guests suited up in the finest clothes flanked by their finest soldiers all of them eying up the opposition for any weakness. The meeting itself is rather boring despite the high stakes nature of it with pieces on organisational funding and the future of combatting vampires now that their secret is common knowledge, luckily for us all of them were happy to play ball even Iscariot though this was more likely due to them getting away without any real backlash for their little invasion than them actually wanting to take part in Hellsing's summit which thankfully everyone was more interesting than Hellsing's new addition.

"Any problems we need to address or can we sign this so I can get some sleep?" Integra asking the rest of the group with the tiredness of the meeting obvious in her voice resulting in a short chuckle of agreement around the room as she begins to sign the treaty.

"I have an issue", the entire table turning towards the American director sitting almost directly opposite from Integra with her head deep in one of the information packets handed around during the meeting. "This prisoner of yours, why haven't you interrogated her yet as you've had more than enough time to get something useful outvof her", 'prisoner'? we don't have any female prisoners apart from... me, she is talking about me, whatever face I've pulled the old soviet leader finds this whole deal quite amusing as he drinks some more.

"Are you referring to Lieutenant Winkle?" Integra asks carefully with the suspicion on what the American is thinking being clear in her tone.

"Of course, do you have any more prisoners you're not telling us about?" she says laughing at her own joke with the rest of the table not finding it as amusing apart from the same russian from before finding something funny in it.

"No, it's just Lieutenant Winkle isn't our prisoner so I was a little confused by you referring to her as such" Integra says flatly not intimidated by her coolness.

"What do you mean she isn't your prisoner, she was a member of Millenium for sixty years and one of their top soldiers who was captured by you after London or did you forget this? Do you at least have any idea where she is right now?"

"Just behind me to my left"

"She's Rip?" the American woman reacts as if I'm contagious pointing her hand at me in shock, "What is she doing here?".

"Representing Hellsing as you are the FBVE, you have been informed of our latest recruit have you not?"

"You recruit that thing into your ranks, whose idea was this?"

"Alucard's idea, though I decided to keep her after she proved herself in London".

"Of course it was, well you can have keep her then but you can count on us not signing your treaty and losing the support of the US" grinning like cat who caught the canary.

"Fine, I'm sure the President will love how you decided to reject the best piece of publicity he will get" Integra's words causing a stem of anger in her as she turns beet red.

"Just give me that paper"

Sliding across the pen and paper she quickly signs her name on the paper before storming out of our meeting before anyone can insult her further, "I haven't had that much fun since Glasnost" the Russian says boisterously beginning a hearty laugh he was obviously holding back.

Once everyone filters away for the night to deal with their respective issues and what-not I spot Integra alone reading over the plans made over the evening, she spots me walk over from metres away "can I help you Rip?" she asks with some relief as if my interruption brought her away from something incredibly boring.

"Um.. yes" I stumble out "it's just I wanted to thank you for defending me earlier".

"You are one of us now, that means we'll look out for you despite how much you may or may deserve it"

"Thank you Integra" I add before being brushed aside as she begins to let her work finding nothing to do but either wait or return back to my temporary home only to end up stuck for another two more days until our guests depart to their own nations.

More breakfast blood and some interesting literature fills my time throughout until I finally get brought away for some actual action. The large temporary operations center in the old chapel of Edinburgh Castle bustles with activity as me and Seras sit watching a large screen with a map of Brazil zoomed into the area around Millennium's base of operations as Integra details about a reconnaissance mission into it to collect as much information from it to detail any further plans that may still be carried out by Millenium loyalists along with the destruction of the Dokter's vile conversion methods.

"Rip?" Integra calls to me as she begins to scan some of the aerial photographs of the entrance to my old home.

"Yes Master?"

"Can you remember the layout to this facility?", the question makes me laugh as she wonders if I know the layout of what was effectively my home for 60 years with the blueprints flowing from memory onto the paper as my audience watch stunned as I guide them round as if I were standing there now.

"Send copies to the FBVE seeing as they are insisting on joining our expedition", Integra giving the handful of paper to a random soldier who happened to walk past.

"Seras & Rip, you are going to go directly Brazil and find what information you can with as little assistance as you possibly can and report directly back with anything you find"

"Yes master" we both say in unison leaving as another meeting takes it place almost immediately.

Within hours we are bundled up and halfway to Brazil in Hellsing's own private yet on the way back to a place I didn't want to return too.

* * *

How was that? Give me a review with your opinions on the chapter, I want to hear your opinions however they may be.

See you in the next update as stuff actually happens as they explore Millenium's place in the sun which is not as friendly as it sounds, more abound in The Freeshot's Folly.


	4. No Place Like Home

Disclaimer: The Name Of The Doctor was pretty awesome and if you don't ship Whouffle it's your own choice and you can do whatever you want with it, also I don't own Hellsing.

It's been a while since the last one and for such I short update I know but I've been busy with other things but since that is behind me I can get this finished by adding chapter four after explaining something from the last one, if you met a vampiric nazi who spent the last sixtyish years in isolation wouldn't you decide to sit them down and make them watch all the old greats, or is this just me being me.

* * *

The bunker entrance looked just like it had when I left the large entrance hiding in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, covered in the surrounded flora it is only able to be found unless you knew where it was though the large zeppelin bay doors had ruined the secrecy providing everyone with a large target for where Millennium's base was though nobody had decided to explore it while all the occupants had gone and died in London. Apart from me. Looking at it made this painfully obvious.

While I begin approaching the door I find Seras has found the fauna more interesting beginning to curiously search the jungle around our clearing, I can't blame her as I found Brazil interesting for the first couple of weeks but it was far too hot and humid to go out even at night which was one of the few perks gained when you're a vampire, no-one minds when you hide away as they just assume it comes with the territory. No for me the blast door was more interesting with it being slightly ajar just enough that someone might think that it didn't close properly.

"I think someone else has been here" I call over to Seras who is far too busy playing with a monkey too respond.

The sound of me opening the door by hand is enough to get her attention as the screeching sound scares away her pet, "do you want any help?" she says far too cheerfully as I strain to open the blast door.

"I'm fine", I get out between strains until the gap is large enough for me to slip into the empty entrance hall, "Rip?" she asks worriedly as her head pops through the small gap not enough small enough to fit through herself it seems, "I'm fine just the door controls are in here and make opening the door far easier" pointing at the window overlooking the hall. I would have had to force my way in though to unlock the door if someone hadn't beat me to it with the handle and about a quarter of the door surrounding it being missing, raising my rifle I walk up into the room it showing clear signs of tampering as it looks like a hurricane had hit it though far less orderly, luckily the door electrics still work and the blast doors starts to slowly open up letting Seras in without having to squeeze through a gap barely big enough to fit me.

"I keep forgetting you lived here"

"Only for around 50 years" I joke getting a small laugh out of her but it ends when I point at the door, "someone's definitely been here the doors been forced open and the control room is a mess".

"Best keep a lookout then" she says pulling her rifle from her back moving towards the lift at the end of the now unlocked hall. A short journey downwards leads us to the bulk of the facility, speeding past the various training and storage facilities it makes me thankful that Seras doesn't speak German or she would have realised we've been going to wrong way for the past dozen corridors, while getting to the laboratory is important this is the last chance I'm going to have to be here and I'm not going to waste it by leaving what remains of my life even though it can fit comfortably into the hiking bag I brought with me.

The officers in Millenium got their own rooms with en-suite, it sounds rather luxurious if it wasn't extremely utilitarian in nature with the en-suite being a shower, sink and a toilet and the room itself only containing a single bed, a dresser, a bookshelf and a desk. That was a suitable home for me when helping Millenium win was my main concern though now that I've moved into a mansion I have bigger ambitions and they require some things that I am glad I forgot to bring with me seeing as what I had is now encased in the wreckage of the Deus Ex Machina.

Signs of an intrusion were evident throughout the facility, destroyed doors and items strewn on the floor some intact but most of them destroyed as if someone was searching for something but didn't quite know what that things is, by the time we had reach the section of the living quarters for the officers I was scared for what I might find.

It was worse than I thought as we creep now the corridor, only one look into Schrodinger's old room is enough to set me on a sprint to mine.

Breaking into my room the sight shocks me to my core as just like every other room I saw they didn't leave anything untouched, my bookcase was destroyed and the books in it gone but they had likely been the center of a fire which has consumed to room starting from the bed and moving to the rest of it for some reason burning out leaving little but ash in its wake with it all being too much for me as I collapse in tears on the floor among with remains of my room.

That's where Seras finds me, on the floor in tears asking me "was this your room?" despite already knowing the answer.

"Yes" I respond between sobs.

"I'm sorry" she sounds so sincere as she kneels behind me and gives me a tight hug, I try to regain my composure before I ruin Seras's shirt but it'll take me a minute too... "at least one book survived" her voice going cheery as I feel her body shifting about, that isn't the important part though as I shoot from her grabbing my now heavily burnt complete works of Washington Irvingfrom around 1860s which had someone survived the fire mostly as I flicked through the pages they're badly burnt but still readable for the most part in places.

"Thank you" I tell her embracing her in a hug not wanting to leave just yet.

"I'm guessing we are nowhere where we need to be?" Seras asks with a matter of fact tone after she returns the embrace.

"Yes... I wanted to get my things first" waiting for her to argue with me over follow orders or something equally pointless.

"You should have just said, I would have let you" I can't think of anything to say so I tighten the hug and think of what would be appropriate right now.

"I think we should get back with what we're doing?" Seras asks, "don't you agree?".

"Yes, of course" I respond not really meaning it but there is no reason for me to stay and if I did it would probably be until I was dragged out wanting to stay another five minutes, I put the book in a the bag I brought for my things that is now too big as I only have a single book to put into it. "Seras, before we go... I just want to say thank you, for everything" she just gives me a quick smile, saying "anytime" before disappearing back into the corridor.

The laboratory isn't that far away regardless of our position within the maze of tunnels that make up the facility. His laboratory was one of the largest rooms there and is something I still remember even from what little time I spent in it, the cavernous room was filled with tanks of strange liquids or racks of cadavers along with busy workstations full of equipment and chemicals being worked on my teams of scientists under his command creating a grim spectacle that he seemed to rather enjoy.

Now it was just an empty shell with empty vats and gladly no cadavers on the racks but the rest was looted unlike the rest of the facility this place had been cleared out with some semblance of a goal and the research papers we had been sent for had clearly been taken that was quickly confirmed with a search that was quickly cut-off with a quick hail of gunfire that sent us flying behind the nearest workstation.

"I think I saw them dive behind the workstation Sir", a male voice shouts out with an atypical American accent.

"Be careful these Nazis are a dangerous, don't let them catch you unawares" along with his orders the sound of feet echo around the room as the squad tries to out flank us in a fight neither of us want to take part in.

"I think they're FBVE" I whisper to Seras.

"They must think we're part of Millenium" she whispers back and after a pause continues, "how can we tell them we're not?".

"Umm.." I try to think of something we could do as the sound of movement gets louder, "We're Hellsing" I shout loudly not wanting to stick my head above the little cover we have, "maybe that'll work".

"You sound awfully German to me" one of them shouts back.

"That's because she is German", Seras returns sounding a lot more English than I ever could.

"Then if you're Hellsing what are you doing here?" the one I've put down as their leader asks us, during the gap in conversation I can tell that their movement has definitely stopped, though I can't tell if this is good or bad yet, "and why is there a German with you?" another one pipes up before Seras can even answer the first question.

"Looking for information and she is a member of Hellsing before you start jumping to conclusions" despite how correct those conclusions may be.

Deciding now would be a good time to get up I stick my head above the worktop to a dozen guns pointed at me the torch light almost blinding me as they all go right into my eyes, as the rest of me and Seras appear from behind our cover their rifles lowering slightly letting us see a group of heavily armoured individuals in black suits almost perfectly designed to combatting vampires as I can barely tell they are there if it wasn't for any of my normal senses.

"What are your names first we need to confirm your identities?"

"Seras Victoria and Rip Van Winkle"

"Give me a minute" the officer says as he talks to someone had the end of the line.

Awkwardness falls on us for a few minutes as we wait for a response, when it comes he starts talking back to the person at the other end in whispered tones not realising we can hear them.

"Yes, Seras Victoria and Rip Van Winkle... yes, Hellsing... so they are?.. thank you."

"You're clean apparently so did you find anything?" Their leader asks still stay a few metres away from us deciding not to trust us that much just yet though their guns drops down so they're not pointing at us making me rather relieved seeing as their faces are blank masks.

"No, we think someone has taken the research that was stored here"

"That can't be good"

This was practically how things went for the next few hours of searching, both of us and them avoiding one another not quite trusting them to not shoot us to be on the safeside and them not quite trusting us to not kill them in some kind of mindless fury.

It was on the fourth hour that we all decided to end our search as we weren't going to find anything in the mess, returning to our helicopter we call Integra up to explain the bad news.

"...And you don't know who has this information?" she says slowly as if she is still trying to work out what we just told her.

"No"

"Thank you, just return home we can.. WHAT DO YOU WANT!" Integra suddenly shouts mid-sentence, behind her is some unlucky soldier giving her something.

A few seconds after the soldier shuffles away Integra continues much calmer from before, "The Mexican-American border has just been attacked by some vampires and ghouls, travel with the FBVE and find out what you know before the slips through our fingers like this place has" the phone hanging up soon after.

Getting out the helicopter we walk over to the much larger VTOL aircraft the FBVE have used, "where do you think you are going" their leader, Captain Reynolds asks before we can get too close. "With you, the border has been attacked and we were told to show you how to deal with a problem like this, being new and all" Seras replies confidently despite being about half his age and with barely any of the combat experience, surrey wasn't a major hot crime spot from what I heard though it unnerves him regardless and he silently guides us to some seats in the back, the rest of the squad didn't look too pleased to be traveling with us either but after a quick visit to the cockpit Reynolds seemed to be happy we were coming along, they all looked experienced soldiers from the way they acted and their positions here but none of them had ever fought a vampire before let alone meet me before us, to them our help was a godsend though I was just glad to be leaving.

Only a few miles away from the base the explosives they had planted throughout the structure went off causing a slight bit of turbulence for the aftershock, amateur I think as the pilot begins to regain control of the craft as I begin to read what is left of the book I collected from my room, I haven't read Sleepy Hollow in a while.

* * *

Another one is down an an unknown number to go, I think this went well but please review with what you think and with any improvements you can think of for me to take on board as I write as well as thank you for reading.


End file.
